Yes! Thanks for this great exposition. I 💚 S&H Green Stamps. I even picked up a few completed books recently just for the memories. And yes, I still remember the taste of that glue!
My grandmother collected many of the promotional items. Stamps was just one. Wedding Crystal oats had cut glass glasses. Flour sacks had kitchen towels. She had collected an entire set of Currier and Ives dinner ware that was her “ good China” collecting these promotions was fun.
Just happened upon your channel when searching about S&H green stamps... I noticed you don’t post very often... you should! Interesting videos on history!!! Please make more!
Back in the 1970's I worked with a guy at Century Boat Company. Part of his job was signing for fuel oil shipments to the several buildings located in the Manistee, Michigan area. The fuel company would give S&H Green Stamps with each fuel oil delivery. The fuel oil deliveries were several thousand gallons each week. He was always getting stuff from S&H. Televisions, bicycles, furniture and all kinds of stuff. Pretty cool.
Here's my story: In the 1960s it took 1,200 stamps to fill a book. You got 1 stamp per dime you spent, so to fill a book with 1,200 stamps you would have to spend $120. In the 1960s $120 was not chump change. I vaguely remember it took quite a few books to exchange them for merchandise. I also recall back about 1965 my church asked parishioners to donate S&H filled books to buy a new station wagon for the nuns who resided and taught at the school. I don't recall the model station wagon it was but they needed about 3,000 or 3,500 books to get that wagon. They were successful in people donating enough books to get the car. You could also redeem the books for cash. In the 1960s they paid $1.20 for a full book. As mentioned above, one would have to spend $120 to have the 1,200 stamps to fill the book. Therefore, the S&H program was equivalent to getting a 1% cash back on store purchases. Today, one can get 2% or 3% on purchases they make using credit cards. No mess of storing, pasting stamps in books, etc. In 1970, I worked at a grocery store (National Tea Co.) that gave out Green Stamps. I asked my boss at the time “How much does it cost the store to give them out?” and he replied “$62.50 for 25,000 stamps”. So, for every $2,500 customers spent, it cost the store $62.50, or, 1% of the sale price.
This was great! I don't know what hit me about S&H Green Stamps...I was watching Nick Sabin give a leadership speech and I suppose at 65, I got a little nostalgic. Thanks again! PS: I did post this video on Twitter.
I was 7 in 1969, and I remember going to an S&H redemption store with my mother...the shop had shelves with merchandise that seemed sparse compared to Kresge's (K-Mart) or Woolco's...but i think we had about five books, and my mother got an alarm clock and some dishes...I remember my grandmother saving Gold Bond stamps, nut I don't know if she ever got anything from them...I do remember that at Safeway, they had these disk shaped dispensers that the cashiers would take their finger and spin like a (vintage) telephone, and stamps would shoot out...
Brilliant video. I was surfing for business ideas and i remembered the psychological pull of green stamps. The fact that your piece ends with its continuing existence to this day reflects the truth of how people value something for free. Thank you for this.
I worked at Wieboldt's for a couple of years when I was a teenager. Wieboldt's had a S&H redemption center on the second floor. There was a chain of hosiery stores called Neumode which issued their own stamps. It was a great feeling to turn in a card filled with stamps and get a free pair of hosiery.
I remember 2 things vividly from growing up in the 70’s. Licking countless S& H green stamps to fill books for a trip to the redemption store. And saving coins/loose change in my Tootsie Roll bank to put into paper rolls to take to the bank in exchange for cash. It taught an entire generation the value of saving for what you wanted.
I remember them in the 70s, but I don't remember my Mom ever going to a redemption center. Years ago I found a very small stash of the stamps, and thought they'd be an interest addition to my stamp collection. Then more recently I spent a lot of time at a friend's parents' house, and found their small stash of trading stamps. That included Top Value, Merchants, and Two Guys stamps. So now I have a pretty interesting, but small collection of them. No books or catalogs though.
In the mid to late 1970s I remember my mom turning hers in for a brand new pocket electronic calculator. I cannot recall how much we spent on food to get the stamps to buy it but maybe $500? Some astronomical. Dad complained that she would have done better to buy the calculator outright.
When I was little the supermarkets that issued stamps were Thorofare [S&H Green], Kroger [Top Value], Giant Eagle [PS Blue] and A&P [Plaid]. A&P actually held out against stamps until 1962. This was in Pittsburgh. Interesting video you have there.
When we had our first child. We made the babies room with S&H green stamps. Baby bed, bassinet, changing stand. Everything we got was with stamps. Those were good days.
I remember S&H Green Stamps. My parents used to get them at the A&P Supermarket on weekend shopping trips. I saved them in books, but I can't recall whether we redeemed them or not. Thanks for the memories. ☺️
That is exactly what happened to them... Inflation...Higher prices of items in stores that passed them out... Opposition by politicians, fueled by the retail lobbies representing waves of discount stores and catalog houses that had to compete with trading stamp redemption centers... By the late 80s, they were gone...
My Mom would collect and save green stamps and redeem them for things we really needed. But my Grandma would save them, then give the books to me and my sister to buy toys with! :)
I have a genuine Dymo label maker and tape in the file cabinet sitting next to me I paid 1 book for. ( I actually got that with Blue Stamps but they went hand in hand. ) But when I pumped gas they were a PAIN IN THE ASS. We dispensed them from a machine mounted by the pumps where you turned a dial just like a phone for each dollar the customer paid for gas. They could be a source of contention at times. A wet sponge in a shallow dish worked great for pasting them.
At any Supermarket. I remember 1967 and my first booklet filled up with stamps .It depended on how much money on food you spend . My booklet was full with green stamp and I gotten free Pricilla Curtains.... Sad, these stamps dinedt lasted into the 70s.
They're worth gajillions ifn you know who to sucker into buying then , Owise , take 'em to a Cracker Barrel & see ifn they're interested in hanging them uon the wall
They're worth gajillions ifn you know who to sucker into buying then , Owise , take 'em to a Cracker Barrel & see ifn they're interested in hanging them up on their walls ,
When i was a kid, i got my baseball bat and glove with stamps. Mom said if you want to play, lick the stamps. Boy did i, and the anticipation was awesome.
I'm sure our friendly IRS was happy with the S&H demise as the mountain of redemption that was virtually unreportable and some redemptions were quite large
Now, yes. They were taking them back for cash, at a very stingy redemption rate until very recently. Now their web site says "tough luck we are not taking them anymore". S&H catalogs and unusual stamps and books can be collector's items.
My father was a salesman for S&H. I I worked at the Elmira, NY redemption store while in high school in 1957.
Yes! Thanks for this great exposition. I 💚 S&H Green Stamps. I even picked up a few completed books recently just for the memories. And yes, I still remember the taste of that glue!
Really enjoyed this, thank you.
My grandmother collected many of the promotional items. Stamps was just one. Wedding Crystal oats had cut glass glasses. Flour sacks had kitchen towels. She had collected an entire set of Currier and Ives dinner ware that was her “ good China” collecting these promotions was fun.
Just happened upon your channel when searching about S&H green stamps... I noticed you don’t post very often... you should! Interesting videos on history!!! Please make more!
I remember putting the stamps in books for my grandmother. 😊
I remember my mom collecting the stamps and helping to put them in the books.
Me too. Plus the "plaid" stamps.
Back in the 1970's I worked with a guy at Century Boat Company. Part of his job was signing for fuel oil shipments to the several buildings located in the Manistee, Michigan area. The fuel company would give S&H Green Stamps with each fuel oil delivery. The fuel oil deliveries were several thousand gallons each week. He was always getting stuff from S&H. Televisions, bicycles, furniture and all kinds of stuff. Pretty cool.
I definitely remember green stamps. In fact my mother worked for S&H in the 60's.
I still have some green stamp books. So glad I kept them.
Here's my story:
In the 1960s it took 1,200 stamps to fill a book. You got 1 stamp per dime you spent, so to fill a book with 1,200 stamps you would have to spend $120. In the 1960s $120 was not chump change. I vaguely remember it took quite a few books to exchange them for merchandise. I also recall back about 1965 my church asked parishioners to donate S&H filled books to buy a new station wagon for the nuns who resided and taught at the school. I don't recall the model station wagon it was but they needed about 3,000 or 3,500 books to get that wagon. They were successful in people donating enough books to get the car.
You could also redeem the books for cash. In the 1960s they paid $1.20 for a full book. As mentioned above, one would have to spend $120 to have the 1,200 stamps to fill the book. Therefore, the S&H program was equivalent to getting a 1% cash back on store purchases. Today, one can get 2% or 3% on purchases they make using credit cards. No mess of storing, pasting stamps in books, etc.
In 1970, I worked at a grocery store (National Tea Co.) that gave out Green Stamps. I asked my boss at the time “How much does it cost the store to give them out?” and he replied “$62.50 for 25,000 stamps”. So, for every $2,500 customers spent, it cost the store $62.50, or, 1% of the sale price.
This was great! I don't know what hit me about S&H Green Stamps...I was watching Nick Sabin give a leadership speech and I suppose at 65, I got a little nostalgic. Thanks again! PS: I did post this video on Twitter.
When I was a kid a grocery in western cincinnati called Albers would give them my mom would use them
I was 7 in 1969, and I remember going to an S&H redemption store with my mother...the shop had shelves with merchandise that seemed sparse compared to Kresge's (K-Mart) or Woolco's...but i think we had about five books, and my mother got an alarm clock and some dishes...I remember my grandmother saving Gold Bond stamps, nut I don't know if she ever got anything from them...I do remember that at Safeway, they had these disk shaped dispensers that the cashiers would take their finger and spin like a (vintage) telephone, and stamps would shoot out...
I remember getting stamps when my mom went to grocery store, and even gas stations
IIRC Sunoco used to give Green Stamps
Great job. Loved it
Brilliant video. I was surfing for business ideas and i remembered the psychological pull of green stamps. The fact that your piece ends with its continuing existence to this day reflects the truth of how people value something for free. Thank you for this.
I worked at Wieboldt's for a couple of years when I was a teenager. Wieboldt's had a S&H redemption center on the second floor. There was a chain of hosiery stores called Neumode which issued their own stamps. It was a great feeling to turn in a card filled with stamps and get a free pair of hosiery.
Wieboldt's!
Wieboldt's!!!!!!! You must be From the Chicago area!!!
Thank you for that video! Spot on my every memory and nice to understand why the decline.
It was a fun time. We would take our books to the redemption center on San Fernando Rd. Glendale, California. As a kid, it was amazing.
I remember 2 things vividly from growing up in the 70’s. Licking countless S& H green stamps to fill books for a trip to the redemption store. And saving coins/loose change in my Tootsie Roll bank to put into paper rolls to take to the bank in exchange for cash. It taught an entire generation the value of saving for what you wanted.
Omg green stamps were way before my time but I would be so into it. That is awesome
That was fun stroll down memory lane. 😊
I remember them in the 70s, but I don't remember my Mom ever going to a redemption center. Years ago I found a very small stash of the stamps, and thought they'd be an interest addition to my stamp collection. Then more recently I spent a lot of time at a friend's parents' house, and found their small stash of trading stamps. That included Top Value, Merchants, and Two Guys stamps. So now I have a pretty interesting, but small collection of them. No books or catalogs though.
In the mid to late 1970s I remember my mom turning hers in for a brand new pocket electronic calculator. I cannot recall how much we spent on food to get the stamps to buy it but maybe $500? Some astronomical. Dad complained that she would have done better to buy the calculator outright.
I do remember them..I couldn't remember what they were for so thank you!!
When I was little the supermarkets that issued stamps were Thorofare [S&H Green], Kroger [Top Value], Giant Eagle [PS Blue] and A&P [Plaid]. A&P actually held out against stamps until 1962. This was in Pittsburgh. Interesting video you have there.
Publix gave Green Stamps too
When we had our first child. We made the babies room with S&H green stamps. Baby bed, bassinet, changing stand. Everything we got was with stamps. Those were good days.
Yes I'm old enough to remember S&H Green Stamps. My mom collected Blue Chip Stamps though.
I remember S&H Green Stamps. My parents used to get them at the A&P Supermarket on weekend shopping trips.
I saved them in books, but I can't recall whether we redeemed them or not.
Thanks for the memories. ☺️
Publix used to give S&H Green Stamps too, and IIRC some Sunoco stations gave Green Stamps AW
One of my "chores" as a kid (mid 60's) was to lick and stick the stamps into the booklets. I can still taste that damn glue 60 years later.
That is exactly what happened to them... Inflation...Higher prices of items in stores that passed them out... Opposition by politicians, fueled by the retail lobbies representing waves of discount stores and catalog houses that had to compete with trading stamp redemption centers... By the late 80s, they were gone...
Top Value stamps are out of circulation too
I remember going to one of their centers to get a stroller for my little brother in the early 70’s.😊
I remember the Plaid Stamps too.
My Mom would collect and save green stamps and redeem them for things we really needed. But my Grandma would save them, then give the books to me and my sister to buy toys with! :)
My parents met at Blue Chip where they both worked in the 60s
I have a genuine Dymo label maker and tape in the file cabinet sitting next to me I paid 1 book for. ( I actually got that with Blue Stamps but they went hand in hand. ) But when I pumped gas they were a PAIN IN THE ASS. We dispensed them from a machine mounted by the pumps where you turned a dial just like a phone for each dollar the customer paid for gas. They could be a source of contention at times. A wet sponge in a shallow dish worked great for pasting them.
Me who found your video because i found these 3 little stamps in an old cookbook that i bought myself for my birthday 😅
I remember playing with them as a kid in the clearly 80's
At any Supermarket. I remember 1967 and my first booklet filled up with stamps .It depended on how much money on food you spend . My booklet was full with green stamp and I gotten free Pricilla Curtains.... Sad, these stamps dinedt lasted into the 70s.
It was my job to paste them into the books. The blue chip store we used to shop at was on LaBrea it is now a habitat for humanity shop.
What are s&h green stamps worth now
They're worth gajillions ifn you know who to sucker into buying then ,
Owise , take 'em to a Cracker Barrel & see ifn they're interested in hanging them uon the wall
They're worth gajillions ifn you know who to sucker into buying then ,
Owise , take 'em to a Cracker Barrel & see ifn they're interested in hanging them up on their walls ,
When i was a kid, i got my baseball bat and glove with stamps. Mom said if you want to play, lick the stamps. Boy did i, and the anticipation was awesome.
I'm sure our friendly IRS was happy with the S&H demise as the mountain of redemption that was virtually unreportable and some redemptions were quite large
The last time I saw one of those signs was inside a Cracker Barrel restaurant.
Thank you cool video
Politicians argued that stamps manipulated the market…. While we are now stuck with nothing but Walmart now ……..Higher prices now without any stamps.
I’m curious what that glue was made of
Food King near Los Angeles
my uncle got them, we would Lick n Stick in the books. Then every so often go redeem them at a premium store.
Loved it.
I still have some how much are they
My mom has these when she was a kid
Yes I remember
"The feeling of the books when they all get stiff n hard"
10:18 😂🫢
PLEASE PLEASE offer closed captioning.
I still have 48 unredeemed books full of S&H stamps. I suppose they're rather worthless now.
Now, yes. They were taking them back for cash, at a very stingy redemption rate until very recently. Now their web site says "tough luck we are not taking them anymore". S&H catalogs and unusual stamps and books can be collector's items.